Epona’s Hope wires the Captiva Island (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Leon Ellman, Glassman Racing and Laurie Plesa’s Epona’s Hope, just coming into her own at the age of 4, outbroke the field and never looked back in extending her win streak to three races with a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph in Saturday’s $115,000 Captiva Island at Gulfstream Park.
The 11th running of the Captiva Island for fillies and mares 4 and up sprinting five furlongs on the turf, was the second of two stakes on the program following Rolando’s popular victory in the $115,000 Hutcheson for 3-year-olds on the main track.
Second choice in a field of six at 2-1, Epona’s Hope ($6.80) covered the distance in 54.78 seconds over a firm course while improving to 3-0 to start the year, all of her wins coming at the course and distance with Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario aboard.
Purchased for $295,000 as a 2-year-old in training in March 2023, Epona’s Hope improved her career bankroll to $364,118 with the victory, her sixth from 12 starts and fourth in five tries over the Gulfstream turf.
“Anytime you think something and you’re validated, that’s a great feeling,” trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. said. “It’s a great feeling with her for lots of reasons. Certainly, the ownership is a big part of it. The Glassmans were [here] today with their daughter and grandchildren, so that was great. Leon Ellman, great, and my wife’s pretty great, too. It’s just nice to be right. It was our day today.”
Epona’s Hope broke alertly and was hustled to the lead by Rosario, going the opening quarter-mile in a snappy 21.02 seconds with 8-1 longshot Bandonarun giving closest chase and Just a Care – second by a head to Epona’s Hope in the Feb. 8 Ladies’ Turf Sprint – racing in the clear three wide in third outside Daring Duchess. The half went in 43.04 as Epona’s Hope straightened for home firmly in control and rolled home under a hand ride as Just a Care got up in the late stages to edge Bandonarun by a neck for second.
“She’s quick,” Rosario said. “She’s fast, and she likes doing what she’s doing. She goes faster and faster. She’s a nice filly.”
Dancing Duchess finished fourth, followed by Weekend Rags and R Harper Rose, a Grade 3 winner on dirt making her grass debut. French Group 3 winner Tiger Belle, unraced since last July, was scratched.
“She’s a hard filly to catch, and even when they do catch her she digs in and gives it that extra effort,” Plesa said. “It looked like that [Just a Care] was going to run on by her but if you watch the gallop out that horse never got by her. She’s got the guts and determination that you want to see in a Thoroughbred. We’re just lucky to have her.”
Plesa said he had not thought beyond the Captiva Island for Epona’s Hope, who began her career on dirt in the summer of 2023 and had a pair of starts on Gulfstream’s all-weather Tapeta course before taking to the turf last spring.
“We’ve got to play it by ear,” Plesa said. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of the game. She’s got a lot of options that will be coming up to her. We’re willing to travel and do whatever we have to do to enhance her. It’s a good problem to have.”
